dihydroergotoxine and Schizophrenia

Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Dihydroergotoxine; Double-Blind Method; Humans; Male; Pilot Projects; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenic Psychology

Standardized means can be generated from the t, F or chi 2 statistic used to test the significance of treatment effects in each of several independent studies. An unweighted means ANOVA, calculated from the standardized means, provides tests of significance for the treatment main effect across studies and for the differences in magnitudes of the treatment effects between studies. The protection against Type I errors (false positive conclusions) afforded by the standardized means ANOVA is evaluated in a series of Monte Carlo simulations involving both equal and unequal sample sizes and error variances. A detailed illustration of the method is provided. The combining of information from multiple independent trials in clinical psychopharmacology research is illustrated with regard to problems of establishing the general equivalence of two drugs, as well as in providing a comprehensive conclusion concerning efficacy across several studies that may not appear uniformly positive.

Topics: Antipsychotic Agents; Anxiety Disorders; Arousal; Clinical Trials as Topic; Diazepam; Dihydroergotoxine; Double-Blind Method; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Mental Disorders; Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychotropic Drugs; Schizophrenia; Statistics as Topic; Thioridazine

Alpha 2-adrenergic receptor function was measured in platelets from chronic schizophrenic patients and normal controls. The number of alpha 2-receptors was greater in patients' platelets, and the prostaglandin E1 (PGE1)-stimulated cyclic AMP (cAMP) production lower, when compared with the normal controls. The changes measured may occur only in the platelet, but if central nervous system neurons share with platelets these changes, one might speculate that an increase in the number of alpha 2-receptors and a decrease in cAMP production may relate to the psychopathology of schizophrenia.

Topics: Adult; Blood Platelets; Cyclic AMP; Dihydroergotoxine; Humans; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Receptors, Adrenergic; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenic Psychology

Five patients with abnormal involuntary movements of tardive dyskinesia were treated with dihydrogenated ergot alkaloids (Hydergine) in doses of 3 to 4 milligrams a day for six weeks. Blind ratings of standard videotape recordings indicated significant differences between the patients. Worsening occurred in three patients during treatment and to a lesser extent after treatment; improvement during treatment appeared in one patient and more sustained improvement in one patient.

Topics: Adult; Antipsychotic Agents; Dihydroergotoxine; Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Schizophrenia

Topics: Blood Platelets; Cyclic AMP; Dihydroergotoxine; Female; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Receptors, Adrenergic; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; Schizophrenia

Topics: Blood Platelets; Cyclic AMP; Dihydroergotoxine; Humans; Hypertension; Hypotension, Orthostatic; Mood Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Parkinson Disease; Platelet Aggregation; Receptors, Adrenergic; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; Schizophrenia

The authors assessed alpha-adrenergic receptor function in blood platelets from chronic schizophrenic patients and normal control subjects. The number of receptors was measured by the specific binding of the alpha-adrenergic antagonist [3H]dihydroergocryptine to the platelets. A physiological response of the platelets to agonist occupancy of the alpha-adrenergic receptors was measured by the norepinephrine inhibition of prostaglandin E1(PGE1)-stimulated cyclic AMP (cAMP) production. cAMP production in male schizophrenic patients was lower than in normal male subjects. alpha-Adrenergic receptor function was similar in patients and normal control subjects of both sexes. Normal male subjects had about 1.5 times the number of alpha-adrenergic receptors as normal females and generated about 1.8 times the quantity of PGE1-stimulated cAMP.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Blood Platelets; Cyclic AMP; Dihydroergotoxine; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Norepinephrine; Oxidation-Reduction; Prostaglandins E; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; Schizophrenia; Sex Factors

Polypharmacy with psychoactive drugs was surveyed in 1276 elderly psychiatric patients from 12 Veterans Administration hospitals. One out of every six patients received two or more psychoactive agents. No specific combination of drugs was overly popular. The most frequently administered combinations, thioridazine plus phenobarbital and chlorpromazine plus phenobarbital, were administered to only 13 patients each (1% of the sample). The large majority of the combinations involved antipsychotic agents. One antipsychotic drug, thioridazine, was a component of nearly one-third of the combinations. The most frequent pairings were an antipsychotic drug plus and antidepressant, two antipsychotic drugs, and an antipsychotic drug plus an antianxiety agent or sedative-hypnotic. The use of polypharmacy was significantly related to patient age. One out of every four patients 60 to 65 years of age received two or more psychoactive drugs compared to only one out of eight over 75 years of age. The implications of these findings for treatment and research are discussed.

Topics: Age Factors; Aged; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Antidepressive Agents; Antipsychotic Agents; Chlorpromazine; Dihydroergotoxine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Male; Mental Disorders; Middle Aged; Neurocognitive Disorders; Phenobarbital; Psychotropic Drugs; Schizophrenia; Thioridazine; United States; United States Department of Veterans Affairs

A survey conducted at 12 VA hospitals included the collection of detailed information on the use of psychoactive drugs in 1,276 elderly psychiatric patients. On the day of the survey, 61 per cent of the patients were receiving psychoactive drugs. Prescription practices relating to the choice of drugs, prevalence of drug use, dosage, combination drug preparations, and antiparkinson agents are discussed in terms of such factors as the patient's age and the diagnosis. Also discussed is the literature on psychoactive drugs, particularly as it pertains to elderly populations.

Topics: Aged; Anti-Anxiety Agents; Antidepressive Agents; Antiparkinson Agents; Antipsychotic Agents; Anxiety; Benzodiazepines; Brain; Brain Damage, Chronic; Dementia; Dihydroergotoxine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Ergoloid Mesylates; Female; Health Surveys; Hospital Units; Hospitals, Veterans; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Phenothiazines; Schizophrenia; United States; Vasodilator Agents

Topics: Aged; Antidepressive Agents; Antipsychotic Agents; Bipolar Disorder; Chlorpromazine; Depression; Dihydroergotoxine; Drug Interactions; Electroconvulsive Therapy; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Guanethidine; Haloperidol; Humans; Lithium; Mental Disorders; Physostigmine; Psychotropic Drugs; Schizophrenia; Thiothixene; Thioxanthenes; Vitamins